Grilled Chicken Pesto Panini (Printable)

Italian-inspired panini with juicy grilled chicken, vibrant basil pesto, and gooey mozzarella on warm ciabatta bread.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 14 oz)
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

→ Panini

05 - 4 ciabatta rolls, sliced in half
06 - 4 tablespoons basil pesto
07 - 7 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
08 - 1 medium tomato, thinly sliced (optional)
09 - 1 handful fresh baby spinach or arugula (optional)
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat
02 - Brush chicken breasts with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through and juices run clear. Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly
03 - Spread 1 tablespoon pesto on the cut side of each bottom ciabatta half
04 - Layer sliced chicken, mozzarella, tomato, and spinach or arugula on top of the pesto. Cover with the top ciabatta halves
05 - Lightly butter the outside of each sandwich
06 - Heat a panini press or grill pan over medium heat. Place sandwiches in the press or pan, pressing down with a heavy skillet, and grill 3-4 minutes per side until bread is golden and cheese is melted
07 - Slice each panini in half and serve warm

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you ordered it from a café, but you made it in your pajamas at home.
  • The crispy, buttery bread gives way to warm, gooey mozzarella that pulls apart with every bite.
  • You can prep the chicken ahead and have lunch ready in under ten minutes.
  • It's one of those recipes that looks impressive but is almost impossible to mess up.
02 -
  • Let the chicken rest after grilling or all the juices will run out onto your cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
  • Don't turn the heat too high when pressing the sandwiches or the bread will burn before the cheese melts.
  • Use softened butter, not melted; melted butter soaks into the bread instead of crisping the surface.
  • If you don't have a panini press, a heavy skillet on top of the sandwich works perfectly.
03 -
  • Press down firmly when grilling, the more contact the bread has with the heat, the crispier it gets.
  • If your mozzarella is too wet, pat it dry with a paper towel so the sandwich doesn't get soggy.
  • Add the greens at the very end of building so they don't wilt from the heat of the chicken.
  • A little mayo mixed into the pesto makes it creamier and helps it spread more easily.
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